Collectors of historical live operatic recordings are used to
putting up with all kinds of obstacles between them and enjoyment
of the performance. Muffled recording, strange balance, noises
from audience, prompter or stage movement, and cuts, whether made
at the actual performance or imposed by missing sections of the
recording – all of these are the norm but it can sometimes still
be worth persevering with listening in the hope that they will
also be able to detect the faint echo of what occurred on some
uniquely and musically important occasion.

Many
of those obstacles are present here. In particular the recording
is frequently very distorted and the balance very much favours
the orchestra, and sometimes the audience, over the singers.
Nonetheless what remains shows that this was a performance of
rare excitement and insight. Ramón Vinay’s Otello is well known,
mainly from Toscanini’s recording – earlier but much better
recorded. Here he has many of the same virtues – inherent nobility,
a large voice able to express great power and strong emotions
and suggesting a man distinct from the rest of the characters,
and great musicality and dramatic ability. He seems perhaps
not as careful here as he was in the Toscanini version, although
this may be due in part to the deficiencies of the recording.
Giuseppe Taddei is a well sung and very vivid Iago. His clarity
and forward projection of words ensure that every syllable is
clear, and thankfully he avoids melodramatic effects. Antonietta
Stella is a very positive Desdemona, avoiding the risks of sounding
either pallid or matronly. All in all, I very much enjoyed what
I could hear of the main singers, although I must stress that
to some extent this reaction is based on imagination as the
actual sounds are frequently far from realistic or attractive.

The
main virtue of the set, however, is the conducting of Sir Thomas
Beecham. The notes by Danilo Prefumo suggest that he had “learnt
Toscanini’s lesson (apart from a few, unaccountably slow tempos)”.
I would doubt whether by this time in his life the way that
Beecham approached the opera was likely to have been influenced
one way or the other by what other conductors had done or were
doing. Beecham’s experience in opera had gone back some half
century before this, and he knew very well how to establish
dramatic situations and how to get the best out of whatever
performers he was working with. In fact the orchestra and chorus
here are far from bad, and I think that Prefumo is ungenerous
in saying that they are not always up to their task. Certainly
the off-stage brass do appear to have some occasional difficulties
and there are some other inaccuracies or lack of coordination,
but no more than can be expected in any live performance of
this work, especially one of such intensity. I am not clear
which are the “unaccountably slow tempos”. Some parts are certainly
slower than the score might suggest, but rarely to any exceptional
degree compared with other performances. All in all, there is
much to be enjoyed in and learnt from Beecham’s performance
here, even if the enjoyment is somewhat limited by the limits
of the recorded sound.

It
is here that the problems start and end. Obviously this is not
comparable with modern recordings and purchasers are likely
to buy this as a supplement to other versions, or perhaps even
as a supplement to supplements. On that basis it is certainly
worth having. The performance has been issued by other companies,
but I have not been able to compare this version with them so
that I do not know to what extent what appears to be a somewhat
crude refurbishment is the best that can be done with the source
material.

No
text or translations are included and the brief notes relate
entirely to the performers, but this is unlikely to deter the
likely target audience. Caveat emptor maybe, but also
carpe diem.

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